PointCab Recap & Round up 2024

2024: Recap & Round-up

Nicole
December 19, 2024
10:07

POINTCAB 2024:
A YEAR OF GROWTH, INNOVATIONS & CELEBRATIONS

As 2024 comes to a close, we at PointCab are taking a moment to reflect on an exciting year filled with innovation, collaboration, and milestones. From significant product updates and thrilling events to team growth and anniversaries, this year has been one for the books. Let’s take a look back at what we’ve achieved together in 2024!

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS: PUSHING BOUNDARIES WITH POWERFULL UPDATES

2024 was a year of major releases and enhancements across the board. We introduced several updates that our workflows even more efficient and user-friendly:

4Archicad 2.0 & 2.1 (Windows & macOS): A huge step forward for Archicad users with powerful tools and seamless integrations.
4Brics, 4Revit, 4Autocad, and 4ZWCAD 2.1: Compatibility with the latest CAD versions has been established for all our plug-ins and new functions offer a more efficient workflow.
Origins 4.2: Featuring game-changing improvements, such as the GUI Docking System and a new License Manager, enhancing flexibility and usability.
Cross-Platform Releases: We made major strides with the releases for macOS, ensuring our software meets your needs no matter the platform.

Strengthening Connections: Events, Partners, and Resellers

2024 was a year of connections, both online and in person. We were proud to showcase our solutions at key industry events like GeoWeek USA, DigitalBAU in Köln, and Intergeo Expo in Stuttgart. These opportunities allowed us to connect with customers and partner alike, gain valuable insights, and share our latest innovations.

Collaboration remained at the heart of our growth. We were thrilled to present at the “IN TOWN” event with NavVis in Frankenberg, creating an inspiring atmosphere for exchange and new ideas. We also welcomed new resellers, including Dron-e Italy, GMX Systems LTD, and GEOZONA LTD, strengthening our global network and making PointCab solutions accessible to even more users worldwide.

A Decade of Success: Celebrating Our 10-Year Anniversary (Part 2)

This year marked a significant milestone for us: 10 years of PointCab! We celebrated this incredible journey with our team, partners, and friends at the beautiful Hohen Neuffen Castle. It was a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and to celebrate the hard work, innovation, and dedication that brought us here.

A big thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey—your trust and support drive us to keep innovating and improving every day.

Team Growth: Building for the Future

Our team continued to grow in 2024. We welcomed two new developers to our team in Germany, bringing fresh ideas and expertise to help us deliver even more innovative solutions in the future.

We also took time to strengthen our bonds outside the office. From our unforgettable teambuilding event in Croatia to daily collaboration, our team remains the backbone of everything we do.

WHAT'S LEFT TO SAY?

THANK YOU!

2024 has been an incredible year of growth, milestones, and achievements. We’re deeply grateful to our customers, partners, and team members who make all of this possible. Your support inspires us to keep pushing boundaries and delivering the best solutions we can.

As we move into 2025, we can’t wait to show you what’s next. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, events, and partnerships as we continue to shape the future of our industry.

Thank you for being part of the PointCab family. Here’s to a bright and successful 2025!

PointCab 4Archicad 2.0 – Archicad Plugin Released

New release – pointcab 4archicad plugin 2.0

Discover all new functions in the latest release of our point cloud plugin 4Archicad!

Due to our constant development and the inspiring feedback from our Archicad users, our new 4Archicad plugin brings
a bunch of new functionalities and enhancements.
Check out what’s new below:

NEW FUNCTIONS

Vectorizer Transfer: Automatically create Walls & more from Vector Lines

What it’s for?

Simply create Vector Lines in PointCab Origins and effortlessly transfer them to Archicad via the PointCab 4Archicad Plugin. With the vector lines you can then automatically create Walls and more.

How it’s done:

Follow the steps in our video tutorial.

Create Mesh

What it’s for?

Create a mesh in Archicad by using 3D Points in PointCab Origins.

How it’s done:

Follow the steps in our video tutorial.

Point Cloud Transfer

What it’s for?

Transfer your unstructured E57 point clouds with ease to Archicad.

How it’s done:

Follow the steps in our video tutorial.

Import of Section as interior elevation

Click to enlarge the picture

What it’s for?

“Reference to” function for now with interior elevation!
Use it to create an interior elevation instead of a section or elevation.

General Improvements

Compatibility

Archicad

The AEC Impact – World Population Day

THE AEC IMPACT

World Population Day

Article Overview

World Population Day – Overview
World Population Day – Goals
The Contribution of the AEC Industry utilizing Laser Scanning Technology
Case Studies and Real-World Applications
Conclusion

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry stands at the forefront of shaping our built environment. In our series “The AEC Impact” we explore the myriad ways in which the industry contributes to societal well-being, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of the AEC industry and its pivotal role in building a brighter, more sustainable world.

World Population Day - overview

World Population Day, observed on July 11, is a crucial occasion dedicated to raising awareness about the pressing issues related to the world’s population. Established by the United Nations in 1989, this day emphasizes the importance of population trends and their implications on development, environment, and global health. As the global population continues to grow, currently surpassing 7.9 billion, the challenges related to sustainability, urban planning, and resource management become increasingly critical. Surveyors and architects play a vital role in addressing these issues, leveraging advanced technologies such as laser scanning and digital twins to create sustainable and efficient solutions.

World Population Day - Goals

World Population Day aims to draw attention to the urgent issues arising from population growth, including but not limited to:

Sustainable Development: Ensuring that economic and social progress can continue without depleting resources for future generations.
Urbanization: Managing the rapid expansion of cities to ensure adequate housing, and provide essential services.
Healthcare: Addressing the needs of growing populations, especially in developing countries, to ensure access to healthcare and combat diseases.
Environmental Impact: Mitigating the negative effects of human activities on the environment, promoting conservation, and addressing climate change.
Resource Allocation: Ensuring that resources such as water, food, and energy are distributed equitably and sustainably.

The Contribution of the AEC industry utilizing Laser Scanning Technology

Surveyors and architects are at the forefront of addressing the challenges highlighted by World Population Day. Their expertise in planning, designing, and managing the built environment is key to creating sustainable and livable cities. Their methods and skills are employed in a variety of different applications:

Urban Planning: By providing accurate and comprehensive data on existing urban environments cities can become more efficient and sustainable.
Infrastructure Development: Surveyors can use laser scanning to assess the condition of infrastructure. Architects plan renovations and ensure new developments are integrated smoothly with existing structures.

Historical Preservation: Preserving historical sites is crucial for maintaining cultural heritage. Laser scanning allows for precise documentation and restoration of these sites.
Environmental Impact Analysis: Detailed 3D models help to asses the environmental impact of new developments, aiding in the creation of designs that minimize ecological footprints.
Resource Management: Accurate modeling of resources such as water and vegetation helps in planning their sustainable use and management.

Case Studies and Real-world Applications

Smart Cities:
In cities like Singapore and Barcelona, laser scanning and point cloud processing are used to create digital twins—virtual replicas of physical spaces. These digital twins help monitor urban environments, optimize energy use, and enhance public services.

Disaster Management:
In earthquake-prone areas like Japan, laser scanning is used to assess structural damage quickly and accurately, aiding in rapid response and reconstruction efforts.

Sustainable Buildings:
Green building projects, such as the Bullitt Center in Seattle, use these technologies to design buildings that are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, setting new standards for sustainable architecture.

conclusion

World Population Day serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by a growing global population. Surveyors, engineers, and architects, equipped with advanced technologies, play a pivotal role in tackling these challenges. By creating sustainable, efficient, and resilient urban environments, they contribute significantly to ensuring a better future for all. As we observe World Population Day, it is essential to recognize and support the innovative solutions these professionals bring to the table in addressing the complexities of population growth and urban development.

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Origins 4.2 – the latest functions

ORIGINS 4.2 – THE LATEST FUNCTIONS

Discover all new Origins functions in the latest release of Origins version 4.2!

Due to our constant development and the inspiring feedback from our users, PointCab Origins 4.2 brings
many new functionalities and enhancements.
Check out the new functions below:

NEW FUNCTIONS

GUI Update: Customize Origins like never before

What it’s for?

Experience Origins with a completely new look and feel: customize and arrange windows in size and position to your liking.

How it’s done:

Just click and drag your windows in Origins and arrange them to your liking.

New License Manager

Click to enlarge the picture

What it’s for?

Discover a new, convenient and easy-to-use way to manage all your PointCab Licenses in one place.

How it’s done:

The new License Manager provides an easy way to manage all your PointCab Licenses. Just take a look at our slides and see how it’s done.

New Tools Menu available

What it’s for?

We have moved!
You’ll now find all options to import Elements and prepare Nebula files in one place in this toolbar.

How it’s done:

Just toggle to the Tools Menu item and find all your options for importing Elements & preparation of Nebula files.

New Vectorizer Tool for rectangles (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Enjoy a faster workflow and create rectangle vector lines with one click!

How it’s done:

The new rectangle tool of our Vectorizer creates a rectangle of vector lines with one click. Enabling you to speed up your vectorization!

New way to export clusters (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

You can now choose clusters and easily export them as separate projects.

How it’s done:

Just select the clusters you want to export as a separate project and do a right-click. Choose export and that’s it!

New "2D + Z" transformation method (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Minimize the risk of errors when selecting identical 3D points!

The new 2D+Z transformation method was developed for projects that require rotation around the Z axis and translation in all three dimensions (XYZ). It ensures an accurate transformation while maintaining the perpendicularity of the object. Verticality is maintained through the registration process and derived from the tilt measurement data.

(Note: The screenshots for the 3D transformation are exaggerated to show that the object can be rotated around all axes.)

How it’s done:

When transforming your point clouds in the Transform Calculator, just select “2D + Z” in the dropdown menu and hit “Find constellations”.

Click to enlarge the picture

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

Improved Orthophoto appearance in color sheet (customer request)💡

What it’s for?
We improved the appearance of the color sheets, for a more crisp look and easier workflow. The upper picture demonstrates the better appearance in detail.

Advanced scan renaming (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Changing the names of your scans (and cluster) is now a breeze. Just choose the scans you want to rename and give them a new name. Don’t lose track of your projects anymore.

How it’s done:

Just select your cluster and start to rename it to your liking. Everything in brackets is editable.

Hide scan names in quality matrix

What it’s for?

Turn on / off the scan names in the quality matrix.

How it’s done?

Simply press “n” on your keyboard to hide or show the scan names.

Language Settings moved

How it’s done?

Struggle to change Origins to your preferred Language? You’ll now find all languages in the Settings Menu in Origins.

Automatic update for FARO API

What it’s for?

Origins now check automatically for the latest FARO API and suggest you to update it.

Hide scan positions in top view (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Hide or unhide your scan positions by cluster in the top view.

How it’s done?

In the Advanced Importer select your cluster, open the menu with a right click and select un/hide scans to hide or unhide them.

Riegl SDK Update

What it’s for?

PointCab Origins 4.2 now supports all Riscan datasets.

EXTENDED DATA FORMATS – IMPORT / EXPORT

Trace your footsteps

What it’s for?

You can now import your trajectory files from Mobile Mapping Systems and beautifully visualize your path.

How it’s done?

Open “Import Elements” under Tools and choose “Import trajectory”. Browse your files to add your XYZ coordinates from the traj.txt file. Adjust the data types like in this example and you are ready to go!

Click to enlarge the picture

Import Ladybug panoramas (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Now you can import your Ladybug panoramas into PointCab Origins.

How it’s done?

Under “Import Elements” choose the “Import Ladybug” tab and start importing your Pano-Views!

Click to enlarge the picture

Import Matterport panoramas (customer request)💡

What it’s for?

Now you can import your Matterport panoramas into PointCab Origins.

How it’s done?

When importing Matterport files, the panoramas are imported directly (no need to go to Import Elements – Import e57).

Import Viametris panoramas

What it’s for?

Now you can import your Viametris panoramas into PointCab Origins.

How it’s done?

Under “Import Elements” choose the “Import Viametris” tab and start importing your pano-views!

Click to enlarge the picture

BUG FIXES

Global Surveyors Day

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

March 21 is officially declared Global Surveyors Day.

A good reason to take a closer look at the history and background!

ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SURVEYING

THE BEGINNINGS

The beginnings of surveying can be traced back to the construction of the pyramids, where property boundaries were defined using hemp ropes and knots. Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Aristarchus of Samos were investigating the shape of the earth and the movement of the planets. During the Roman Empire, surveying played an important role in the development and administration of conquered territories.

During the Middle Ages, surveying was simplified and geometry was regarded as one of the liberal arts. The rediscovery of ancient writings in the 15th century, including Ptolemy’s “Geographia” led to an upswing in cartography. The Age of Discovery required more accurate maps and instruments, which led to the development of new surveying techniques.

MODERN ERA

Surveying experienced a further upswing in the 18th century. Following the French Revolution, the surveying and archiving of all properties was achieved with the introduction of the land tax register. In almost all of Europe, the introduction of the metric system in the second half of the 19th century put an end to the variety of different units of measurement.

Nowadays, modern technologies such as GPS, laser scanning and photogrammetry make it possible to measure our world comprehensively, digitally and with high precision.

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK IN THE USA

The first “National Surveyors Week” was proclaimed on February 13, 1984, by the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). In addition, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, signed a proclamation calling on citizens to recognize the achievements of professional surveyors. The proclamation therefore acknowledged the important role of land surveyors, who were instrumental in establishing settlements in North America. George Washington, the first recognized surveyor, is probably the most famous among them.

National Surveyors Week starts every year on the third Sunday in March and is historically one of the first official events to regularly celebrate the achievements of surveyors.

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

Global Surveyors’ Day has been officially celebrated since 2018, which conveniently coincides with National Surveyors Week, which has existed for some time.

Global Surveyors’ Day was first introduced and celebrated on March 21, 2018, at the Conference on Land and Poverty at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, USA.

The day is supported by many organizations, including the CLGE, NSPS, and FIG.

DIFFERENT SURVEYORS DAYS AROUND THE WORLD

Although “Global Surveyors Day” was officially declared in Washington DC in2018 and supported by the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (GLGE), in Germany, for example, Surveying Day is often still celebrated on March 5 instead of March 21. The reason for this is that the GLGE already proclaimed March 5 as Surveying Day in 2012, the birthday of the famous cartographer and globe maker Gerhard Mercator.

In Iran, on the other hand, the day falls on September 4 – the birthday of the Iranian surveyor and astrologer Al-Biruni.

Regardless of when the day is celebrated where in the world, everyone seems to agree on one thing: surveyors and geodesists make incredibly important contributions to the well-being of mankind and therefore deserve our attention and recognition.

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PointCab Recap & Round up 2023

2023: Recap & Round-up

PREFACE

Since the beginning of the 2020s, one crisis seems to be chasing after the other. Unfortunately, 2023 is no exception. This year too, conflicts and natural disasters are keeping the world on edge.

Once again, we can only express our sympathy and hope that 2024 will bring improvement in this respect.

DESPITE A DIFFICULT WOLRD ECONOMY:
POINTCAB CONTINUES TO GROW

Although the global economy as a whole and the construction industry in Germany, in particular, are struggling, we are expanding our development team. We are working on new products and improving our existing product portfolio. Particularly noteworthy in this area are our 4Archicad plugin, PointCab Origins, and PointCab Nebula.

4 ARCHICAD PLUGIN – A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

In 2023, our 4Archicad plugin celebrates its first birthday and is already breaking all records: never before has a PointCab plugin achieved such sales figures in such a short time. The recipe for success? Our customers. Thanks to the close cooperation and valuable feedback from our “power users”, our developers are able to create a product that is perfectly tailored to the needs of Archicad users and easy to use at the same time. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all contributors and look forward to working with them in the future.

POINTCAB ORIGINS – SCAN2BIM AND MOBILE MAPPING

As in previous years, we are constantly working on further adapting our core product PointCab Origins to the needs of our customers and the new technical developments in the laser scanning market. For one thing, we have implemented even more customer requests in our updates in 2023. Furthermore, we have introduced Origins 3D, a new product aimed specifically at users working with mobile mapping data and looking for a simple Scan2BIM workflow. We have also added further functions for mobile mapping users (e.g. simple import of NavVis panoramas) to further expand the workflow for this target group.

POINTCAB NEBULA – A NEW ERA

In order to make PointCab Nebula accessible to a wider range of users, we have continued to adapt and develop our cloud solution over the past year: an improved 3D viewer and faster loading of pano views are just some of the impressive results. However, the biggest innovation, which we have been working on in the background for some time, is scheduled for 2024: Nebula will be available as an independent solution for all major cloud platforms (e.g. Google Drive, etc.) and can be used independently of Origins. This means that anyone can use Nebula to share and visualize their point cloud projects via a link, regardless of the hardware or software they use.

DRIVING INNOVATION - POINTCAB PARTICIPATES IN RESEARCH PROJECT

Of course, it is important for us to keep our finger on the pulse and keep up with the latest technologies. That’s why PointCab is taking part in a research project on neural networks in partnership with the DHBW.

NEURAL NETWORKS AND VISUALIZATION IN VR

The idea is simple: existing mesh models (e.g. of machines) are to be automatically recognized in a point cloud and visualized in a VR environment. This not only makes it possible to create a digital twin of a factory, for example, but also to precisely plan an expansion or modification.

However, a lot of work is required to achieve this goal. Test data sets must be recorded and analyzed in a neural network (AI algorithm) to train it so that it can reliably recognize the objects to be identified later on. In addition, further algorithms must be developed to enable classification and segmentation of the point cloud.

At the moment, we are already able to automatically recognize ceilings and floors in the point cloud and are working on further expanding the neural network.

EVENTS 2023

Unbelievable but true: PointCab celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023. A reason to celebrate!

10 YEARS OF POINTCAB AND MORE

In 2023, our team was once again on the road and participated in various events to get in touch with our customers and partners in person. Particular highlights were BauScan in Magdeburg, GeoWeek in Denver, and, of course, Intergeo in Berlin. Of course, we couldn’t miss the opportunity and celebrated our 10th anniversary there in a typical Berlin atmosphere. Many thanks to everyone who celebrated with us. We are already looking forward to the next 10 years together!

NEW AND OLD PARTNERSHIPS

THE POINTCAB NETWORK CONTINUES TO GROW

Our largest hardware partner to date, GeoSLAM, was acquired by FARO in 2023. Many customers have been wondering what impact this will have on their Draw software and its availability in the future. We are pleased to announce that our OEM partnership will continue with FARO and our software solutions will continue to be available to FARO customers under a new name (TBA).

Last but not least, more resellers have joined our network this year. These include FEIMA in Hong Kong, TOPOSTORE in Romania, as well as dron-e and LE Soluzioni Srl in Italy.

WHAT ELSE REMAINS TO BE SAID?

THANK YOU!

Anyone who has read our recap up to this point will have noticed that our success this year can once again largely be credited to our customers and partners. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank our partners and customers once again for their loyalty, wonderful cooperation, and valuable feedback.

Last but not least, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank our team. They tackle their work with incredible motivation and enthusiasm every day, Without them, we would not be where we are today after 10 years in this industry.

With this in mind, we say: Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and here’s to a successful 2024!

Feima Robotics & PointCab announce bundle

Feima Robotics and PointCab announce bundle to create an End-to-End Mobile Mapping Solution for customers worldwide

By entering a strategic partnership, Feima Robotics, and PointCab have created an all-in-one mobile mapping solution, covering the complete Scan to BIM workflow. It streamlines and integrates the mobile mapping and point cloud processing workflow, resulting in an affordable and user-friendly experience.

a strong partnership and great potential

Richard Steffen, CEO of PointCab is confident about the success of the partnership:
“With Feima Robotics we have found a reliable partner to further simplify the Scan to BIM workflow for a broader worldwide user base. The fusion of a state-of-the-art mobile mapping solution with our Origins Software fills the gap from reality capture to CAD deliverables and we are pleased by the innovative and user-friendly End-to-End solution emerging from it. We see great potential in this international partnership and are excited for the future ahead.”

Shijie Zhang, VP of Feima Robotics sees a great chance in the cooperation with PointCab:
“Feima Robotics is dedicated to providing our customers with geospatial solutions with integrated software and hardware. In the past years, we have released about 20 more types of intelligent UAV systems and dynamic 3D mobile scanning platforms. We feel now is a good time and pace for Feima Robotics to expand our overseas business. Together with PointCab, we work to provide the best possible mobile mapping solutions for our Chinese domestic and overseas clients.”

STRIVING FOR THE PERFECT WORKFLOW

Handling point cloud data from mobile mapping solutions is often a complex task to do.

How do you ensure good data quality? And how do you process the captured data to create CAD-ready deliverables?

The new hardware + software bundle from Feima and PointCab addresses exactly those issues, providing mobile mapping customers with a well-thought-out End-to-End Solution, tailored to easily process huge datasets.

State of the art mobile mapping solution...

The Feima SLAM100 handheld mobile mapping solution comes with a wide field of view. Therefore, data can be comprehensively captured from all corners within a max. range of 120m. The optional three 5-megapixel cameras allow simultaneous acquisition of texture information, colorized point clouds, and local panoramas. Automatic acquisition for extracting of control points and converting them into local and global coordinate systems is just one of many handy features the SLAM100 is equipped with. Additional mounts and accessories (for UAVs, GPS, Vehicles, a.m.m.) allow diverse data collection for a wide range of applications.

Feima’s mobile app for Android and iOS allows synchronizing all project information to the cloud. Feima’s SLAM GO POST software makes post-processing of the collected data easy. Helping to produce partial images, display point clouds, and optimize results with just a few clicks.

...meets powerful and intuitive software

After importing the Feima data into Origins, stunning ortho photo views are automatically created by the software, providing a clear visualization of the project. This allows the user to navigate through the data in a more intuitive fashion.

With the help of ortho photo views, creating layouts, sections, floor plans, and more can be done with just a few clicks. In addition, the Origins pano views are unmatched when it comes to a fast and clear visualization of mobile mapping data. Preferably used for CAD and BIM modeling, taking measurements and gathering 3D information directly in the pano views helps to speed up the workflow immensely. On top of that, semi-automized tools like the Vectorizer also help to generate CAD-ready deliverables easily. Vectorized layouts, flatness deviations, volume determination, and much more can therefore be created in seconds.

Thanks to its broad inter-compatibility, all Origins results can be exported to all prevalent CAD and BIM software. PointCab’s optional CAD Plugins for AutoCAD, Revit, ZWCAD, and more offer an even better-optimized workflow, enabling CAD/BIM users to directly transfer all point cloud data into CAD objects without the need to export/import it first.

This End-to-End Solution of powerful hardware combined with the easy-to-use and intuitive software makes this bundle a perfect match for starters and pros alike!

👉Read the Chinese press release from Feima Robotics

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Summer News

SUMMER NEWS

Summer is just around the corner and with it some important news!

Find out now what will be important in the coming weeks:

Our "Customer loyalty promotion" - valid until 30.06.23

What is the “Customer loyalty promotion”?

In order to continue to guarantee the highest service and product quality for our customers, we are adjusting our price and product structure as of July 1.

With our “Customer loyalty promotion” we would like to thank our existing customers for their loyalty and give them the opportunity to extend an existing maintenance and support package at the “old” price until June 30.

How it works:

If a maintenance contract expires within 2023, it can be extended until June 30 at the “old” price.

It’s important to note that a maintenance contract that expires in June isn’t the only affordable option available. Even a maintenance contract that don’t expire until November 2023, for instance, can be extended now at the previous price.

The extension period starts accordingly with the respective regular expiration date. Our sales team is looking forward to your request.

Origins innovations

What’s new?

A new product joins Origins and Origins Pro: Origins 3D!
With Origins 3D, we close the gap between Origins and Origins Pro.

What’s included in Origins 3D?

Origins 3D offers the perfect balance between Origins and Origins Pro at an attractive price.

Origins 3D includes all the features of Origins Pro, except for registration, and thus offers an excellent solution for those who manage without the registration module.

Nebula Self-Hosting is available!

What does it offer?

With the new self-hosting solution, our Nebula Cloud can now be implemented and hosted on your own server structure.

What is the advantage of self-hosting?

With self-hosting, Nebula is hosted as an application on your own existing server structure.

This gives you complete control over your data and eliminates the need for external storage.

Time for bargains

As already mentioned, we will adjust our price and product structure on July 1st.

So if you have been thinking about buying a plugin or a variant of Origins (maybe the new Origins 3D?) for a while, you should not postpone your decision any longer. Take advantage of the current conditions until the end of June.

Our point cloud and cloud solutions are waiting to be discovered in our online shop.

If you have any special questions, our sales team is always at your side.

Origins 4.1 – The latest functions

ORIGINS 4.1 – THE LATEST FUNCTIONS

Discover all-new functions in the latest 4.1 Origins Release!

Due to our constant development and the inspiring feedback from our users, PointCab Origins 4.1 comes with many new functionalities and enhancements. Check out the new functions below.

NEW FUNCTIONS

Polygon editor for area-based tools

What it’s for?
View and edit the coordinates of your polygon points in the job editor!

How it’s done:
When creating a surface the coordinates of the polygon points appear in the job editor and can be adjusted there. This affects all functions of the area tool and all functions that are related to areas: Merger, point cloud export, volume, and mesh.

Export origin point of sections in .dwg (customer request) 💡

What it’s for?
When exporting a section, the center of the section is exported as an additional CAD element called “origin point”. This way the reference point is preserved and you are quickly able to restore it, in case you need it. (A crosshair will be displayed in AutoCAD)

How it’s done:
Go to Layout & Section Tool > Create Section > Settings > Layout/Section/Space Warp > CAD > Activate “Add Centerpoint to dwg/dxf” under “Option”.

Customized 3D Point export to .dwg

What it’s for?
Now you can choose your preferred data format for exporting points to .dwg!

How it’s done:
In the Job Editor under “CAD” you can now find the “Text visibility in Export”. Here you can define where PointID, Point Number, and X, Y, Z information shall be exported to. When the 3D points are exported, the corresponding folder opens directly. Therefore right-clicking “show in folder” is no longer necessary. In the .dwg file, the selected information will be displayed next to the point. The same functionality is also available under the “File” tab in the Job Editor.

“Save as” Functionality to .pcp (PointCab Project)

What it’s for?
Finally, a new way to duplicate your project! Previously, you could only archive a project and then had to pack and unpack it again… These times are finally over!

How it’s done:
Just go to File > Save As: Origins saves a copy of your current project state in the background. Isn’t that great?

Export Orthophotos position (customer request) 💡

What it’s for?
Export the positions of several layouts with ease!

How it’s done:
Select all your layouts with the selection arrow or Ctrl + A, then copy them with Ctrl + C and simply paste them into your text editor. You will easily get all layouts with name and order Lefthandle | Righthandle | Center, as well as all 3D points.

Toggle on/off names of Panoramas

What it’s for?
Finally a clearer display of panoramas – due to a third option!

How it’s done:
The names and positions of the panoramas can easily be hidden by pressing the “P” key. We love the new feature, try it out yourself right now!

Sections with enhanced reflectivity

What it’s for?
The new option enhances the reflectivity in your panoramas and in sections!

How it’s done:
In the panoramas, there is a new sheet that enhances reflectivity. If the “Enhanced reflectivity” slider is checked, the reflectivity will be displayed with increased contrast. To use it for sections just create a new one and set the reflectivity to 100% in the Job Editor under “Processing” and activate the slider for “Enhanced Reflectivity”. Now calculate your job and the sheet with “Enhanced Reflectivity” is available. Lookin’ good, isn’t it?

Click to enlarge the picture

Export all panoramas in different file formats

What it’s for?
This new option helps you to convert your panoramas into your desired image file format. You can choose between png, jpg, tif, bmp, webp

How it’s done:
Before exporting the desired panoramas, choose your preferred format for exporting in the settings under General > Export > “Panorama format”.
Once that’s done, go to the Advanced Importer > “Import” tab: do a right click: select All scans > “Save all Panoramas” and export all panoramas in your preferred file formats!

⚠️Cloud-to-Cloud (C2C) Test / Beta⚠️

What’s it about?
We intend to offer a full-fledged cloud-to-cloud (C2C) registration in Origins. For now, this is our first attempt to provide C2C in Origins 4.1.

Here’s what to keep in mind:
We explicitly don’t recommend using this C2C in its current form to register actual projects!

But we would like to encourage you to test our C2C beta and we’re excited about your experiences and feedback about it.

Discover all details in our C2C Test / Beta PDF

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

Plane position names inside the plane area

What it’s for?
Improved visibility: In the Registration Editor, the labels of the recognized layers are now displayed within the respective layer.

Optimized Nebula Export

What it’s for?
Just a much faster Nebula Export to get your point cloud projects into the cloud!
Who doesn’t want that?

Shortcut Manager improvements

What it’s for?
We have added a Clear-Button in the Shortcut Manager. Maybe just a little improvement for your user experience but we think you deserve it.

How it’s done:
Settings > Shortcuts: New “Clear Button” to delete user-defined shortcuts.
The “Record Button” can then be used to record as usual.

Project main files backup

What it’s for?
When changes are made to the project, Origins now creates automatic backups in the background!

How it’s done:
You don’t have to worry about it, origins will create the backups for you automatically!

Customizable zoom speed

What it’s for?
Adjust the zoom speed in the 3D viewer the way you prefer it.

How it’s done:
Open the 3D Viewer and click on the Gear Icon in the upper left corner. Then you’ll be able to adjust your zoom speed in the “3D View Parameter” in the Job Editor. This setting can also be found under Settings > GUI > 3D Control > Zoom Speed

Advanced project information

What it’s for?
This handy feature keeps you on track with your project information!

How it’s done:
You might have noticed it already when opening Origins: in the Last Projects overview, more project details are now displayed!
Curious about more information? Just open your project and go to “File” > “Project Info”. Now you can view your “Project Information” above the Job Editor. Have a look at e.g. the creation date, date of last changes, total processing time, and much more!

Layout center line visible in all standard views

What it’s for?
The red dotted line of a section, which marks the center of a section, will now also be displayed in the left-view orthophotos window.

How it’s done:
No need to change anything. Origins does that automatically now.

Save into FARO project file (customer request) 💡

What it’s for:

We have added the new function “Save into FARO project file” by user request.

How it’s done:

With this function, registration values (scan positions and rotations) can be directly written into an existing FARO LSPROJ file.

EXTENDED DATA FORMATS – IMPORT / EXPORT

FARO SDK/API update – Support of FARO Premium Scans

Fantastic news for all FARO Focus Premium users!
As of now, the scans can be imported from the Premium Scanner.

Import e57 files with panorama (for Mobile Mapping scan data)

What it’s for?

Now you can write panoramas in .e57/.las format from datasets of NaVvis, GeoSLAM, and Stonex.

How it’s done with .e57 files:

Create a new project and open your scan data. Select the .e57-file and save it to start importing your e57-file as a point cloud.
Proceed to import the panoramas under “Tools” and click on “Import elements”
Navigate to the “Import E57” tab and select the same file. There you can see how many panoramas are included. Click on import.
Last step: simply calculate the panoramas in the job list.

How it’s done with Stonex files:

Create a new project and open your Stonex data. Select the .las-file and save it to start importing your .las-file as a point cloud.
After your Stonex point cloud has been successfully imported into Origins, go to “File” > “Import Elements”.
Navigate to the “Import Stonex” tab and navigate to the location of your .txt file and press “Import”. Make sure that the option “Copy images to project” is activated.
The panorama views appear as circles in your project and as jobs in the job list that need to be calculated. After Origins has processed the images, you can open them as usual by selecting the Panorama tool and clicking on the scan point in the standard views.

Please note:
The Stonex panoramas are just hemisphere panoramas (180 degrees) and therefore the point cloud cannot be back-projected onto them, which means that no measurements can be made. They are purely suitable for visualization purposes.

BUG FIXES

PointCab appoints new CTO & CMO

PointCab CEO and co-founder Dr. Richard Steffen has decided to strengthen the PointCab leadership with the appointment of a new CTO and CMO.

Both picks are dedicated young professionals who have been with PointCab for a couple of years. Senior Developer Martin Graner, will be taking over the position of CTO from Dr. Richard Steffen. Global Marketing Manager Nicole Herber will fill the newly created role of CMO where she will take a more eclectic role in PointCab´s future endeavors.

Martin Graner, CTO

Steffen explains the decision as follows: “We are still nimble and lean yet not the small start-up we were ten years ago. With the company growing economically as well as in terms of a variety of new areas in the future to come, it is no longer feasible for me to fill the double role of CTO and CEO. Luckily, I have found a natural successor in my role as CTO with Martin. He started working with PointCab in 2016 and has since proven himself time and time again. He’s a quick and strategic thinker and the knowledge he’s built up around our products over the years can easily compete with my own. He’s become a trusted voice in our decision-making process and has my full confidence. I’ve never thought the day would come of myself saying this, but undoubtedly with Martin taking on the task, I look forward to stepping down as CTO and dedicating my time fully to my role as CEO.”

Steffen continues: “I am also happy to say that I’m just as confident with Nicole as our new CMO. When she started as a Marketing Manager in 2019, I have to admit that I treated our Marketing as more of an afterthought mainly working with external entities. Our COO Chris McAuliffe saw the need to change things up and hired her to build up our own Marketing Strategy on various levels. Since then, she not only did just that but also opened our eyes to what potential still lays ahead. That’s why we decided to strengthen our Marketing department with Nicole leading the change. From day one, she was full of ideas with the drive and can-do attitude to accomplish them. She’s proven to be a great mentor for her team and a strong sparring partner for our leadership team. “

Nicole Herber, CMO

Concluding Dr. Richard Steffen notes: “With Martin and Nicole in their new leadership roles, I’m confident we have positioned ourselves well for the future. Their appointments allow us to further grow, while simultaneously strengthening our existing teams and structures. As an employer, we strive to provide the opportunity and mentorship for our employees to achieve their full potential.

2024: Recap & Round-up

POINTCAB 2024:A YEAR OF GROWTH, INNOVATIONS & CELEBRATIONS

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS: PUSHING BOUNDARIES WITH POWERFULL UPDATES

Strengthening Connections: Events, Partners, and Resellers

A Decade of Success: Celebrating Our 10-Year Anniversary (Part 2)

Team Growth: Building for the Future

WHAT'S LEFT TO SAY?

New release – pointcab 4archicad plugin 2.0

NEW FUNCTIONS

Vectorizer Transfer: Automatically create Walls & more from Vector Lines

Create Mesh

Point Cloud Transfer

Import of Section as interior elevation

General Improvements

Compatibility

THE AEC IMPACT

World Population Day

World Population Day - overview

World Population Day - Goals

The Contribution of the AEC industry utilizing Laser Scanning Technology

Case Studies and Real-world Applications

conclusion

Want to keep up with the latest pointCab news?

ORIGINS 4.2 – THE LATEST FUNCTIONS

NEW FUNCTIONS

GUI Update: Customize Origins like never before

New License Manager

New Tools Menu available

New Vectorizer Tool for rectangles (customer request)💡

New way to export clusters (customer request)💡

New "2D + Z" transformation method (customer request)💡

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS

Improved Orthophoto appearance in color sheet (customer request)💡

Advanced scan renaming (customer request)💡

Hide scan names in quality matrix

Language Settings moved

Automatic update for FARO API

Hide scan positions in top view (customer request)💡

Riegl SDK Update

EXTENDED DATA FORMATS – IMPORT / EXPORT

Trace your footsteps

Import Ladybug panoramas (customer request)💡

Import Matterport panoramas (customer request)💡

Import Viametris panoramas

BUG FIXES

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SURVEYING

THE BEGINNINGS

MODERN ERA

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

NATIONAL SURVEYORS WEEK IN THE USA

GLOBAL SURVEYORS DAY

DIFFERENT SURVEYORS DAYS AROUND THE WORLD

Want to keep up with the latest pointCab news?

2023: Recap & Round-up

PREFACE

DESPITE A DIFFICULT WOLRD ECONOMY: POINTCAB CONTINUES TO GROW

4 ARCHICAD PLUGIN – A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

POINTCAB ORIGINS – SCAN2BIM AND MOBILE MAPPING

POINTCAB NEBULA – A NEW ERA

DRIVING INNOVATION - POINTCAB PARTICIPATES IN RESEARCH PROJECT

NEURAL NETWORKS AND VISUALIZATION IN VR

EVENTS 2023

10 YEARS OF POINTCAB AND MORE

NEW AND OLD PARTNERSHIPS

THE POINTCAB NETWORK CONTINUES TO GROW

WHAT ELSE REMAINS TO BE SAID?

Feima Robotics and PointCab announce bundle to create an End-to-End Mobile Mapping Solution for customers worldwide

a strong partnership and great potential

STRIVING FOR THE PERFECT WORKFLOW

State of the art mobile mapping solution...

...meets powerful and intuitive software

Want to keep up with the latest pointCab news?

SUMMER NEWS

Our "Customer loyalty promotion" - valid until 30.06.23

Origins innovations

Nebula Self-Hosting is available!

Time for bargains

ORIGINS 4.1 – THE LATEST FUNCTIONS

NEW FUNCTIONS

POINTCAB 2024:
A YEAR OF GROWTH, INNOVATIONS & CELEBRATIONS

DESPITE A DIFFICULT WOLRD ECONOMY:
POINTCAB CONTINUES TO GROW